


Canine Companions Project

by Penguin_Lord



Series: Oregon Files: Oneshots and Drabbles [3]
Category: The Oregon Files - Clive Cussler
Genre: Dogs, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-07 21:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11632683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penguin_Lord/pseuds/Penguin_Lord
Summary: After the events of Piranha and the Emperor's Revenge, Juan arranges a little surprise for his crew.





	Canine Companions Project

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: This is pure fluff.

Juan Cabrillo surveyed the scene around him. The day was an unusually crisp, clear one for a late November day in the Pacific Northwest. The Oregon was once again plying the waters around the Puget Sound, the first time in nearly fifteen years. She had originally been built for these waters, a lumber carrier whose route took her between the timber rich states of Oregon and Washington and the timber deficient Asian Pacific. 

Now she stood, docked in a pier in the Port of Tacoma, proudly displaying her sturdy and stalwart frame for all to see. Not that she looked that way to others. To anyone not in the know, The Oregon looked like she was days, if not hours, away from the scrapyard. 

Juan had overseen her entrance into the Port of Tacoma earlier this morning. Normally in foreign ports he would don a disguise of a slovenly and unkempt captain, in keeping with the decrepit appearance of his ship. This time, as they were docking in the US, he had forgone an elaborate disguise. He had even issued orders to clean up the public areas of the ship. The deck crew had been told to clean up extra trash and to make sure there was nothing slightly edible or molding. The pumps that kept the cabins odorous had also been shut off. 

The crew believed this was to give them a break since they were in friendly territory. This was true but Juan had another reason, one only Max and Julia knew about. 

Arranging this day had not taken as long as Juan had feared. The idea came to him watching Eric Stone interact with St. Julien Perlmutter’s Dachshund Mauser when they were chasing the tangled web created by Lawrence Kensit. After hearing stories, and talking to Julia, in her role as de facto head shrink of the Oregon, he decided to put his plan into action the next time they were in the United States. 

Some of Julia’s contacts and Langston Overholt’s influence had made it possible. Even if Lang was going to tease him mercilessly for the rest of his life. 

Two hours later, after the surprise had arrived and was waiting in the galley of the upper public area, Juan called the normal bridge crew to him in the operations center. 

Linda Ross and Eddie Seng were the first to arrive, followed by Hali Kasim, Mark Murphy, and Eric Stone. Juan had also invited Gomez, MacD, and Franklin Lincoln as well. Max and Julia stood to the side as he addressed his team. 

“Welcome everyone. Thank you for coming.”

“What’s this all about Juan?” Linda asked. Out of everyone, it had been hardest to keep this secret from his third in command. “Why were the cameras to the upper deck switched off?”

“I ordered them to be. As for my reasons, well, let’s just say I wanted to surprise you all.”

“Why?” Linda repeated. 

“What’s going on, Chairman?” Mark asked with a slight smile at the same time as Linda.

“Alright, alright. I was trying to draw out the suspense, but since you’re all trying to be hasty…” Juan said playfully. 

“I told you they wouldn’t wait,” Max spoke up. “Just tell them, Juan.”

“Well, as you all know, our vacations were cut short in Jamaica.”

“That’s the polite way of putting it,” Mark muttered, remembering the sniper that had targeted him on his homemade skatepark on the deck of the Oregon. 

Juan nodded to Mark, acknowledging his gaze, before continuing. “And considering what a stressful situation Monaco was, I thought you could call use a reward. Follow me.” 

The Chairman pivoted on the spot and went to where the elevator was in the Ops center that would take them to a broom closet on the upper deck. He let the rest of his crew go first and was pleased that they waited for him. He took the lead again, making his way to the galley. Silently he pushed open the door. 

The look of surprise on his crew’s face would stick with him for years and years. Linda was the first to break, with Eric a close second and the others following close behind. 

Juan had contracted out six therapy dog, with their handlers, all former intelligence or military officers as well, and had them brought to the Oregon for two days, while they were in port. A Golden Retriever, a Basset Hound, an Irish Wolfhound, a Collie, a Saint Bernard, and a Beagle. He wasn’t sure who looked more excited: the dogs or his combat-hardened crew. 

Linda broke first and approached the Basset Hound. After receiving the dog handler’s approval, she quickly showered the dog with attention and loving scratches behind the ears. Eric did the same for the Beagle. Hali and Gomez started a conversation with the Collie’s handler while they petted the long haired breed. The Golden Retriever wasted no time and began to lick Linc and MacD. Murph went to the Irish Wolfhound, whose name just happened to be Guinness. The owner had a sense of humor. 

Juan was joined by Max and Julia with the Saint Bernard. 

“Good job, Chairman,” Julia said. 

Juan smiled in acknowledgement. He felt a buzz of happiness at seeing his team’s relaxed faces as they interacted with the canines. Linda giggled lightly as the Basset Hound licked her face. He didn’t think he’d ever seen his serious third-in-command look this relaxed. 

“Thanks.”

“Where’d you get this crazy scheme?” Max asked without reproached. Even his gruff exterior melted unequivocally at the wagging tail and big brown eyes of the Saint Bernard. 

“And what’s your name, boy?” He asked softly, while scratching it under its chin. 

“His name is Laurent,” the handler, a frizzy-haired redhead, said. 

“Nice to meet you, Laurent,” Max said, putting out his hand, palm up. The dog had been trained, for he recognized the gesture and brought up his right paw to meet Max’s hand. Max, the guy who put the grump in grumpy, smiled and laughed lightly, completing the gesture by shaking the dog’ paw like he would when he was meeting another human. 

“Believe it or not, I got it from Eric,” Juan said. “When we visited Perlmutter and his dachshund, Eric mentioned the biggest regret he had about shipboard living was he missed his old Beagle.” 

Julia looked over to where Eric was sitting on the floor, happily playing tug-of-war with the Beagle over a rope toy. 

“That got me thinking. I remembered hearing that dogs have been used quite heavily as positive emotional therapy for high stress situations. Everything from the Olympics to University Finals Week. Julia had nothing but good things to say so I organized the whole thing with a non-profit group who usually supports soldiers returning from the front lines.” 

The Saint Bernard, Laurent, turned from Max to Juan, nudging Juan’s side with a playful headbutt. Juan chuckled in response, turning to pet the big dog. 

His crew was also having fun and playful encounters with their own canines. 

After ten or so minutes, he called his people to attention. “Alright everyone, you’ve met our new guests. Is the surprise worth it?” He directed this question to Linda Ross in particular, a playful jab at her earlier lack of patience. 

“Definitely,” she grinned. She hadn’t paused from petting the Basset Hound, whose cheerful appreciation of this attention was shown by rolling onto his back and letting Linda rub his stomach. 

“These dogs, and their handlers, are part of the Canine Companions Project, which trains service dogs to help recent veterans returning from combat. These particular dogs travel around to veterans hospitals and the like to provide valuable comfort and stress relief to injured and healing veterans. I asked Overholt and Julia to help me on this project. Needless to say, I will never hear the end of it from Lang,” Juan joked.

“It was worth it, Chairman,” Eric couldn’t keep the beaming smile from his face as the little Beagle continually kept trying to get his attention by flinging the rope toy around. 

“I’m glad you think so. Our visitors will be here for two days, from 9 am to 5 pm. I’ve sent a memo out to the rest of the crew and everyone is free to come visit the dogs during their off hours.” He’d had to rearrange their normal shift hours to give everyone equal time, but it had been worth it. 

“Dismissed,” he said. “Alpha shift starts in three hours. Just make sure you all get some food before resuming shift. Don’t spent the whole time here.”

The Chairman left the galley to the jubilant cries of thanks and celebration from his crew. He did not ever try to hide his genuine smile behind his normally serious exterior. 

Over the next two days, the dogs enjoyed as much attention as the crew of the Oregon could shower upon them. Juan overheard many stories shared between shipmates about childhood dogs, comparing Labradors to German Shepherds to Poodles and mutts. The was a lightness to the crew, one that only dogs, and other animals, could bring out from this hardened crew. 

Reluctantly they said goodbye to the six four-legged friends the next day and pulled out from port later that evening. They were on their way to Singapore with a new job and a new evil to fight. Still, Juan looked back to Tacoma and the the Pacific Northwest, with its lush forests and vivid coastlines and comment to Max who stood behind him on the deck, “I’ll have to make this an annual event.”

“No matter what Overholt says?” Max said ironically. He had already fielded several messages from the CIA director with a very pointed, good-natured mocking undertone.

“No matter what,” Juan responded.

**Author's Note:**

> There are a number of charities that help connect emotional support animals with the people that need them, be they veterans, overworked students or people with other mental or emotional needs. I first got the idea for this story after reading Piranha and interacting with the therapy dogs that were brought in for Finals Week at my university. Dogs are such amazing, supportive creatures. If you are so inclined, please think about supporting one of these charities in whatever way you can.


End file.
